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US Presidency
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on America
The President chooses his cabinet, the people responsible for the day-to-day running of America's affairs. He can choose anyone he wants to fill these positions. For example, George Bush has chosen ex-Army hero, General Colin Powell to be his Secretary of State (Foreign Affairs).
This type of system is called a federal system which is a form of government in which power is divided between one central power and several regional powers (the 50 states).
The President of America resides in the White House in Washington DC. The Oval Office is a famous room in the White House from where the President works. The new President is George W. Bush. He is the forty-third President of the US, the first being George Washington. The Vice-President is Dick Cheney. If the President dies or resigns while in office, the Vice-President becomes President.
In 1963 President John F. Kennedy was assasinated in Dallas. Vice-President Lyndon Johnson became President. In 1974 President Richard Nixon resigned from office over the Watergate scandal. Vice-President Gerald Ford became President.The President chooses his cabinet, the people responsible for the day-to-day running of America's affairs. He can choose anyone he wants to fill these positions. For example, George Bush has chosen ex-Army hero, General Colin Powell (pictured right) to be his Secretary of State (Foreign Affairs).
Congress
The laws of America are made in Congress (the American parliament). This sits in Capitol Hill in Washington DC. Congress is made up of 2 parts: a Senate and a House of Representatives. Each part is of equal importance.The Senate comprises of 2 senators from each state regardless of population or area. As there are 50 states this makes a total of 100 senators. A Senator's term of office is 6 years and approximately one-third of the total membership of the Senate is elected every second year.
The House of Representatives is composed of 435 Members (congressmen) elected every two years from among the 50 states, apportioned to their total populations. For example Florida elects 2 senators and 23 congressmen whereas California, with a much larger population, elects 2 senators and 52 congressmen.
Political Parties
The 2 main political parties in America are the Republican Party (also called the Grand Old Party GOP) and the Democratic Party. Other parties like the Green Party and the Reform Party also exist but their support is tiny compared to the main two parties. These parties select candidates to run in State elections, to run for Congress and to run for the Presidency.Becoming President
Each party nominates a number of possible Presidential candidates. Over a few months the Presidential hopefuls attend Primary elections, a stage in the election process in which voters cast their ballots for their preferred candidate. The outcome of a primary indicates to party leaders, the media and the public the chance each candidate has to become President. The various party National Conventions are spectacles at which the candidates who received the most popular votes are crowned and their running mates are announced. They then go forward to represent their parties at the Presidential election.Some of those who made it:
- Republican Party: George W. Bush
- Democratic Party: Al Gore
- Green Party: Ralph Nader (pictured below)
- Reform Party: Pat Buchanan
Presidential Election
On 7 November 2000 the American people went to the polls to vote for their President. Each state devises its own system for carrying out the election. The people of each state may also be voting for congressmen, senators, and other government officials. It can be quite complicated and can take a fair amount of time to vote. At many polling stations there were long queues.Each state is futher divided into a number of counties who also have differences in the way they do things. For example, three counties in Florida use a Votomatic machine to vote. The ballot cards are then counted automatically by machines. It is supposed to speed up the process but, as you will see later, it created enormous problems.
Electoral College
The Electoral College is the system America uses to elect its President. Each state is assigned a number of electoral college votes. For example Florida elects 2 senators and 23 Congressmen giving it a total of 25 electoral votes. The Presidential candidate with the most votes in Florida takes all 25 electoral college votes. In most states it is a 'winner-takes-all' election. This means that a candidate may win the popular vote all across America but not have enough electoral college votes to become President.The Electoral College consists of 538 electors - one for each of 435 members of the House of Representatives and 100 Senators; and 3 for the District of Columbia. The American capital is Washington DC where, as already stated, Congress and the President reside. The DC stands for District of Columbia. It is not strictly a state but the people who live there are represented by 3 congressmen.
In order to become President you need the majority of the 538 electoral college votes, i.e. 270 votes.
The Congress plays a role in presidential elections. Both Houses meet in joint session on the sixth day of January, following a presidential election, to count the electoral votes. The President is inaugrated soon afterwards.
JFK
The Bushes
Counting